Folding box setup machine



7 March 15, 1949.

Filed Nov. 26, 1945 filrc; .7.

D.LEVKOFF FOLDING BOX SETUP MACHINE 5 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTOR 0/1100 LE VAOFF BY 4 ATTORNEYS March 15, 1949. D. LEVKOFF FOLDING BOX SETUP MACHINE Filed Nov. 26; 1945 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 D. LEVKOFF FOLDING Box SETUP MACHINE March 15, 1949.

5 Sheets-Sheet 5 Filed Nov. 26, 1945 #8 r INVENTOR 04 W0 LEV/(OFF 4 ATTORNEYS March 15, 1949. L F 2,464,407

I FOLDING BOX SETUP MACHINE Filed Nov. 26, 1945 5 Sheets-Sheet 4 INVENTOR 0A \'//0 A EVAOFF ATTORNEYS March 15, 1949. LEVKOFF 2,464,407

L ox SETUP MACHINE Filed Nov. 26, 1945 5 Sheets-Sheet 5 NOR INVE T 0/2 V/0 LEV/(OFF- ATTORNEYS Patented Mar. 15, 1949 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE FOLDING BOX SETUPMACHINE David Levkofi, Great Neck, N. Y.

Application November 26, 1945, Serial No. 630,821 6 Claims. (01. 93-53) This invention relates to improvements in automatic machines and more particularly to such machines for setting up cardboard boxes from a flat collapsed position to a set up position for use.

The primary object of the invention is to provide an automatic machine for setting up cardboard boxes of the kind set forth in my U. S. Letters Patent No. 2,342,551, dated February 22, 1944, wherein the side and end walls of each box are in a normally flat collapsed position from which position they are moved to a vertical set up position for subsequent use of the boxes for the packaging of merchandise.

Another feature of the invention resides in an automatic paper box set-up machine which may be used by a hacker to set up the normally collapsed boxes as they are required for use, thus enabling the boxes to be shipped by a box manufacturer in collapsed position and conveniently stored in a relatively small space by the packer pending use thereof.

Other novel features of the invention will become apparent as the following specification is read in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which,

Figure 1 is a front elevational view with parts broken away in section illustrating my automatic cardboard box set-up machine.

Figure 2 is an enlarged, fragmentary vertical sectional view on the line 22 of Figure 1.

Figure 3 is a fragmentary vertical sectional View similar to Figure 2 but illustrating the position of the parts after the side walls of the box have been erected and during infolding of the end walls.

Figure 4 is a detail. vertical sectional view illus trating a set-up box being ejected from the machine onto a conveyor.

Figure 5 is a detail horizontal sectional. view taken substantially on the line 5-5 of Figure 2'.

Figure 6- is a detail vertical transverse sectional view illustrating the manner in which afoot member acts to lift the side walls of the box to partially upright position.

Figure 7 is a detail vertical sectional view through one of the end' Wall set-up mechanisms. Figure 8 is a perspective view of one of the cardboard boxes in normally flat collapsed. position.

Figure 9 is a perspective view of the box with its side and end walls inset up position.

Figure 10 is a perspective view of the box in set up locked position.

Referring to the drawings by reference characters, the numeral 10 designates my automatic cardboard box set-up machine in its entirety, and whereas the same may be used in the setting up of various type boxes having folding side and end walls, the same has been specifically designed to set up a tray type folding box such as shown in my U. S. Letters Patent No. 2,342,551, dated February 22, 1944. Such type of patented box is shown in Figures 8 to 10 inclusive and designated A.

Each box A includes a rectangular bottom wall H, opposed side walls l2- -l2 connected to the respective sides of the bottom wall I i along hinge scores, opposed inner end walls l3l3 connected to the side walls by folding corner Webs l4|4 having free edges. or slits i k-J4, locking flaps {5-45 hingedly connected to the top edge of the respective inner end walls l3l3, outer end walls [8-4 F; hingedly connected to the ends of the bottom wall H, and. inwardly foldable tabs l'l-I] hingedly connected to the respective outer end walls lB-IG. The ends of the bottom wall I l are provided with slots l8l8 to receive the free ends of the locking flaps t5l5 when the box is in fully setup position as illustrated in Figure 10. The machine It about to be described is adapted to unfold the side walls I2-i 2 and fold the end walls l3 and I6, and infold the locking flaps l5-I5 from the positions shown in Figure 9 to the locked set up position shown in Figure 10.

The machine It performs two major set up operations, namely, 1) it initially lifts the side walls l2-l2 and. end walls to partially upright position as shown in Figure 6, and subsequently (2). infolds the locking flaps i5-I5 to complete erection of the side and end walls and to efiect a locking of the flaps l5l-5 with the slots l8l8.

The machine it includes a frame structure l9 having legs 2t-20. The frame structure IS includes a horizontal top wall 2|, a front vertical wall 22, and a rear vertical wall 23, all of which walls may be integrally cast together with certain other parts to be hereafter described. Supported by and rising upwardly from the top wall 2| is a gravity feed hopper 24 in which a stack of fiat collapsed boxes A are arranged. The wall 2| constitutes the bottom wall of the hopper on which the lowermost box A normally rests asbest illustrated in Figure 5. A weight 25 rests upon the uppermost box A of the stack so as to compress the stack of collapsed boxes and assure that the next lowermost of the stack drops to a position for subsequent ejection after the lowermost box has been ejected from the stack for setting up by the set-up mechanism to be presently described. The front wall 22 is provided with an ejector slot 26 through which the lowermost box is ejected from the hopper 24 to a vertically reciprocable carrier or platform 21 by an ejector mechanism now to be described.

The box feeding mechanism includes a horizontally reciprocable head 28 which extends substantially the length of the machine and slides on tracks 29 at the ends thereof. The head 26 supports flat ejector members 36 at spaced distances therealong which are disposed in slots 3| in the wall 2 I. Preferably there are three ejector members 99, one adjacent each end of the wall 2i and one intermediate thereof, so that they act upon a collapsed box adjacent its ends and intermediate thereof during an ejection operation of a box from the hopper onto the carrier 27. The front end of each ejector member 36 is provided with a reduced extension portion 32 forming a shoulder 33. The lowermost box A has its inner edge resting upon the reduced portion :32 while shoulder 33 engages the inner edge of the box so as to push the box forwardly when the ejector head 28 moves forwardly. The initial position of the parts for the ejection of a box is illustrated in Figure 3 and the final position of the parts when a box is fully ejected is shown in Figure 2.

Cam-actuated means is provided for imparting timed back and forth reciprocation to the ejector head 26 and which includes a pair of ejector earns (id-34 fixed to a driven counter shaft 35 extending lengthwise of the machine and mounted in suitable bearings in the legs 2i2ll. Each cam 34 actuates a lever 36 which is operatively connected to the ejector head 26. Each lever 36 is pivoted on the shaft 51 intermediate its ends and includes a relatively long upwardly extending arm 31 and a downwardly extending relatively short arm 68, the same extending at a slight angle relative to the arm 31 and having a roller 39 carried by the free end thereof. A contractile spring 40 has one of its ends fastened to the arm 31 and its other end attached to the frame structure, thus causing the roller 99 to constantly ride against the periphery of its related cam 34. The free end of the arm 3? of lever 36 is provided with an elongated slot 6! through which a pivot pin 42 passes, the said pin being carried by the head 28.

Each cam 36 is provided with a concentric pe ripheral portion 43, a. curved peripheral riser portion 66, and a straight peripheral drop portion 35 at the peak of the riser portion. As the roller 39 passes over the concentric portion 43, the lever 36 remains at rest, but as it passes over the riser portion M, the lever is actuated to cause the upper arm portion 31 to swing forward against the tension of spring 49, and thereby slide the ejector head 28 in a corresponding direction, whereupon the ejector members 39 push the lowermost box A (Figure 2) from the hopper 25 through the ejector slot 26 onto the carrier 2l. When the roller 39 reaches the drop portion 45, the lever 3'! is released from its forwardmost position and the spring 40 rapidly returns the lever to its former position which slides the ejector head 28 to its rearmost position shown in Figure 3 and at which time the roller 69 is again in engagement with the concentric portion 46.

Having described the manner in which the lowermost box A is transferred from the hopper 25 to the carrier 21. I shall now describe the carrier and its related parts. The carrier 21 includes an elongated platform 46 of a length substantially equal to the length of the box A in collapsed position and is supported by two vertical rods 41 depending therefrom adjacent its respective ends. Each rod 47 is slidably mounted in a tubular bearing 48. The bearing 46 is shown as integral with the vertical front wall 22 as is a well 59 which is disposed at the level of the limit of the downward movement of the platform 36 which it receives to enable a set-up box to be ejected therefrom over a downwardly inclined ledge 5|. The ledge 5! is disposed adjacent the inlet end of a driven endless belt conveyor 52. The limit of the upward movement of the platform 46 is at a level with the ejector members 39 so as to slidably receive the collapsed box ejected thereby. Stop and guide plates 53 are supported by the frame structure to limit the sliding movement of the box onto the carrier platform and to cooperate with the wall 22 to guide the box during its downward movement to a position to be finally ejected in set up position from the platform onto the conveyor 52. The rear edge of the platform 16 is notched at 54 to accommodate the extension portions 32 of the ejector members 36 when the same are in the foremost positions. To assure that the folding tabs llll of the box remain fiat as the box is fed to the platform 46, the ends of the same pass into transverse guide grooves 55 formed in the top wall 2! (see Figures 5 and 7).

The carrier 21 is intermittently moved down and up in predetermined timed relation to the box feeding means heretofore described and with the set-up box-ejecting means to be hereinafter explained, by a cam actuated mechanism, This cam actuated mechanism includes a bell crank lever 56 associated with each rod 4? which is pivotally mounted upon the shaft 57. The lever 56 comprises a relatively long arm 58 and a relatively short arm 59 extending at an angle to the arm 56, the free end of the latter carrying a roller 69 which is constantly engaging the periphery of an actuating cam 6| fixedly mounted on the countershaft 35. The free end of the arm 58 of lever 56 is provided with an elongated slot 62 which receives a roller 63 carried by a pin 64 fixed to the rod 41 which extends through a vertical slot 65 in the tubular bearing 48. A contractile spring 66 has one of its ends fastened to the arm 58 and its other end to a pin 61 extending rearwardly from the wall 22, the tension of which acts to lift the arm 58 upwardly and maintain constant contact of the roller 60 with the peripheral surface of the cam 6i.

I Each cam 6| includes a concentric peripheral portion 68 which is struck on an arc of slightly more than with which the roller 60 engages during the period when the carrier 21 is in its lowermost position as shown in Figure 3. Also, the cam 6| is provided with a concentric peripheral portion 69 struck on an arc of less diameter than the surface portion 68 and with which the roller 66 engages during the period of time that the carrier is in its uppermost position. Connecting the concentric peripheral surface portions 68 and 69 are straight inclined surface portions 10 and H. The roller 66 rides over th surface 10 when the carrier 21 moves from its uppermost position to its lowermost position, and after passing over the surface portion 69, the same rides over the gradual inclined surface portion H to effect a lifting of the carrier 21 from its lowermost position to its uppermost position. Thus it will be understood that the cam 6i imparts intermittent reciprocation to the carrier 21. There is a pause in movement of the carrier at the limits of its up and down movements for receiving a collapsed box and initially permitting the unfolding mechanism to function, and for subsequently permitting the ejector mechanism to function to enable a set up box to be ejected from the carrier onto the conveyor 52.

After a flatly collapsed box A has been fed to the platform 36 of the carrier as illustrated in Figure 2, the box is acted upon from opposite ends to efiect a partial unfolding of the side walls I2I2. The walls I 2I2 have a tendency, due to the tension in the folded edges thereof, to slightly swing upward as seen in Figure 2, whereupon the pairs of slits I4 provide V-shaped openings into which the foot members I2-I2 may enter in order to get beneath corner webs I lM and side walls I2-I2 and force the same upwardly to a substantially vertical set up position. The foot members 72-42 must first move inwardly toward each other for a predetermined distance, then move downwardly in pressing engagement with the bottom wall II of the box, and finally move upwardly to their original position for a subsequent cycle of operation.

Each foot member I2 is provided with an inwardly facing relatively fiat pointed toe I3, and a flat underside for flatly engaging the bottom of a box being worked upon. Each foot member I2 is fixed to the lower end of rod M slidably mounted in a bearing I5. Th rod M and its receiving bore in the bearing are square in cross section to prevent turning movement of the rod and the foot I2 carried thereby. The bearing 15 is integral with a slide plate I6 mounted for sliding movement in upper and lower trackways Till suitably mounted on the front of the hopper 24. The front side of the bearing 55 is provided with a vertical slot I8 of a length approximately the distance of vertical up and down sliding movement of the foot I2 and its rod I4. A pin I9 fixed to the rod I4 extends through the slot I8 and has a roller I9 mounted thereon. It will thus be understood that the foot members 12 may slide horizontally for their bearings 75 are connected to the slide plate I6 which is slidably mounted in the trackways lI-II. Also, the foot members I2 may move up and down and are guided in such movements by fixed cam plates Bllmounted forward of the bearings E5 as best seen in Figures 1 and 2. Each cam plate is provided with an inverted substantially L-shaped guide slot 8| in which the roller is of the adjacent foot carrier rod extends. Each slot 8| includes a straight horizontal portion 82 and a downwardly and inwardly inclined portion 83. The horizontal portions 82 of the slots at permit of the simultaneous initial inward sliding of the foot members 12-12 to effect a partial lifting of the side walls I2I2 of the box being set up while the angular inclined portions 83 of said slots permits of the ownward and further inward movement of the foot members as the carrier 46 moves downward to effect a further lifting of the side walls and to hold the box in partially set up position during the infolding and locking of the end wall structures of the box in a manner to be hereafter explained.

Means are provided at the opposed ends of the machine for simultaneously imparting intermittent reciprocation to the plates IE- 16. The plates IS-I6 simultaneously move inwardly toward each other and subsequently away from each other to move the roller 19 along the length of the horizontal portion 82 of the guide slots 8I. When the rollers I9 are moved inwardly to the downwardly inclined portions 83 of the slots, the foot. members 12-12 are free to drop .by gravity along with the carrier 46. When the foot members are subsequently raised along with the carrier, the rollers I9 again aline with the portions 82 of the slots when they are simultaneously moved outwardly to the closed ends of the porarm 8 of the lever 84 carries a roller E? which is constantly disposed in a cam groove 83 provided on the periphery of a box cam 39. The upwardly extending long arm of the lever 84 is connected by strain and slot connection to the reduced outer end 32 of the adjacent plate it. The cam groove 88 is of such shape as to impart reverse intermittent sliding movements to the plate 16 on each revolution of the cam which is fixedly mounted on the shaft 35 and thereby driven in timed relation to the actuation of the cams 34 and El The earns 89 through the levers 84, which are disposed at opposite ends of the machine, are set to simultaneously slide the plates 16-16 toward each other to effect inward and downward movement of the foot members 'i2l2, and to subsequently move simultaneously away from each other during the upward and outward movement of the foot members to their return position.

From the above description, it will be seen that as the foot members IE-l2 move inwardly and downwardly, they impart a lifting force to the Webs i l! 4 and side walls l2--i 2 of the collapsed box, the heel portions of the foot members eventually moving inwardly clear of the transverse fold lines connecting the bottom wall l l with the end walls l6-It to enable the upfolding of the end walls and iniolding and locking of the flaps l5i5 with the bottom wall before the carrier 2! reaches its lowermost position. Means is therefore provided for erecting the end wall structures and for subsequently folding the locking flaps i5-l5 inwardly as best illustrated in Figure 7. During downward movement of a box A carried by the carrier, the end walls it i 6 strike against the rounded corner edges t3 which merge with straight vertical walls M which are provided on the inwardly facing sides of the block-like housings 55 attached to the horizontal top plate 2I. In Figure 7, one end wall structure of the box has passed the rounded corner 93 and has moved down to the infolding station for effecting the completion or" the setting up operation of the box.

Journalled in opposed front and rear walls of each housing are two horizontally disposed suitably spaced shafts 96 and iii having constantly meshing gears 98 and 99 respectively fixedly mounted therein. The gear 98 is larger than the gear 9% and is disposed outwardly thereof for meshing engagement with a rack bar Hill. The rack bar its imparts intermittent reverse turning movement to the gear 38 which is transmitted to the shaft 9? through gear $9 for imparting alternate inward and outward swinging movements to an end wall folding member MI. The member Itl is of substantially inverted U- shape and has a short arm Hi2 fixedly attached to the shaft 9i and a longer presser arm I533. The outer face of the arm 1% at the free end thereof is provided with an enlarged portion lM so as to engage the locking flap i5 when it and the flap i! are folded inwardly to a vertical posi tion to assure that the lower free edge of the looking fiap will snap into the slot M in the bottom wall II.

For operating each of the infolder presser members I! through their respective actuating gears 98 and 99 in timed relation with the downward movement of the box on the carrier 21, I operatively connect the rack bar I00 with the sliding plate 76 by providing a roller I at the upper end of the rack bar I00 which has bearing contact with a cam I06 carried by the outer side of the plate 7-5. The cam I06 includes a straight horizontal portion I91 and a downwardly and outwardly inclined cam portion I08. As the carrier 21 moves downwardly a predetermined distance, the roller I05 rides along the straight portion III? as the plate I6 moves inwardly. However, when the roller engages the cam surface I08, the same causes the rack I00 to move downwardly, thus imparting rotation to the gear 99 through gear 98, and causing the presser arm I03 to swing inwardly and effect an infolding of the end flaps I5 of the box.

During the infolding of each of the end flaps I5 of the box, the outer previously erected end wall I6 thereof engages a resilient backing member I09. The member I09 comprises a base portion H0 and an upstanding right angularly disposed wall portion III. The base portion IIII is slidably mounted upon the base of the housing 94 for limited movement with the wall portion III being normally disposed flush with the inner end of the housing, which inner end constitutes an end wall of the well into which the box is lowered during the erection of the end wall structure thereof. The backing member W9 is normally held in the aforesaid position by a spring IIZ having one end fixed to a pin II3 carried by the base portion I I8, while the other end of the spring is connected to a pin IIfl secured to the base of the housing and rising upwardly through a slot H5 in the base portion III of the backing member. Thus the backing member I09 is yieldably mounted so as to move inwardly a small distance as the presser arm I03 of the folder member I9I presses the flap I5 to its infolded vertical position.

The infolding of the locking flaps I5I5 to their interlocking positions with the slots I8-I8 completes the box set-up operation and the box is now in the position shown in Figure 10 but still resting upon the platform 46 from where it is about to be ejected to the conveyor 52 (Figure 3)- by ejecting means new to be described.

The ejecting means includes a horizontally slidable U-shaped ejector member IIS guided by tracks II'i provided on the frame structure I9. The end arms I it of the member I I 6 act as pushers and slide through slots I I9 in the wall 22 and during their forward movement, the free ends of said arms push against the inner side of the box A adjacent the ends thereof. The arms H8 are guided in their sliding movement by the ends of a pin I263 which is carried by the wall 22 and which ends extend into slots I2I in the arms. The ejector member I I6 is slid forwardly to ejecting position by a cam actuated mechanism operable by rotation of the shaft 35 in timed relation to the previously described mechanisms.

The ejector member actuating mechanism includes a cam I22 fixed to the shaft 35. The cam I22 includes a concentric peripheral portion. I23 and a peak-like peripheral cam portion I24. The periphery of the cam I22 is engaged by a roller I25 carried by the short arm I26 of a bell crank lever IN. The long arm I28 of the bell crank lever is operatively connected to the ejector member IIB by a pin and slot connection I29. The arm I28 has one end of a contractile spring I30 connected thereto while the other end of said spring is attached to the adjacent frame structure, thus the lever I21 is under tension at all times to maintain the roller I25 in engagement with the cam I22 and to return the ejector member II8 to a retracted position after each ejecting operation thereof. In Figures 2 and 3 the ejector member is shown in its fully retracted position, while in Figure 4 the same is shown in ejecting position, the box A being partially shifted from the carrier 46 to the inclined ledge 5| for subsequent passage to the conveyor 52. After the ejector member II8 has reached the limit of its ejecting movement by reason of the roller I25 riding over the peak I24 of the cam I22, the spring I39 returns the ejector member through lever I21 to its normal retracted position.

After the set up box A passes onto the conveyor 52, the same travels to a packing station where the box may be packed with tomatoes or other articles intended to be packaged therein.

From the foregoing description, it will be understood that a collapsed box A is automatically fed from the hopper 24 by the feed ejector members 39 onto the reciprocable carrier 2i where it is initially unfolded by the action of the foot members I2 which cause the side walls I2-I2 of the box to unfold to vertical position. As the platform 21 of the carrier moves downward, the rounded edges 93 of the housings cause the end wall structures of the box to assume a vertical position. When the platform travels downward, the infolders IfiI swing inwardly and fold the locking flaps II-I'I down into locked engagement with the slots Iii-I8, after which the ejector member H6 pushes the set up box A onto the conveyor 52. After the set up box A is pushed from the platform 46, the latter returns to its raised position and the machine is ready for another cycle of operation.

While I have shown and described what I consider to be the preferred embodiment of my invention, I wish it to be understood that such changes in construction and design as come within the scope of the appended claims may be resorted to if desired without departing from the spirit of the invention as set forth therein.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. An automatic folding box set-up machinecomprising in combination, a vertically reciprocable platform, means for imparting reciprocation to said platform, a hopper for supporting a plurality of collapsed boxes in stack formation, means for individually feeding boxes from the hopper to the platform when the platform is in its uppermost position, means 'for initially unfolding a collapsed box upon said platform while the same is in its uppermost position, means for subsequently completing the unfolding of the box during downward movement of the platform, and means for ejecting a completely set up box from the platform while the same is in its lowermost position.

2. An automatic folding box set-up machine comprising in combination, a vertically reciprocable platform adapted to support a flatly CO1? lapsed box when in its uppermost position, means engageable with opposite ends of a collapsed box while the platform is in raised position for initially unfolding the box, and means operable during the downward movement of the platform for completing the unfolding of the box to set up position.

3. An automatic folding box set-up machine comprising in combination, a vertically reciprocable platform, opposed reciprocable unfolder elements, means for moving the unfolder elements inwardly toward and away from each other over said platform when the latter is in raised position, means for intermittently lowering and raising said platform, opposed infolding elements, and means for actuating the infolder elements upon movement of the platform to its lower position.

4. In a folding box set-up machine, a vertically reciprocable platform adapted to receive a collapsed box to be set up, means for imparting intermittent down and up movements to said platform, a pair of opposed unfolder elements, means for mounting the unfolder elements for vertical sliding movement above the platform and for horizontal movement toward and away from each other, means for imparting intermittent reciprocation to the unfolder elements simultaneously toward and away from each other to effect an initial unfolding of a box, opposed infolder elements below the raised level of the platform, and means for simultaneously operating the infolder elements as the platform moves downward to its lowered position to effect a final set up of a box.

5. In a folding box set-up machine, a vertically reciprocable platform adapted to support a box having side, end walls, and end wall locking flaps to be set up from a fiat collapsed position, means for intermittently reciprocating said platform, means for unfolding the side walls of a box when the platform is in raised position, means for unfolding the end walls to erected position during the downward movement of the platform, and means for infolding the locking flaps against the erected end walls prior to the limit of movement of the platform to its lowermost position.

6. In a folding box set-up machine for setting up cardboard boxes from a flat collapsed position to an erected position of use in which the box to be set up has downwardly folded side and end walls and locking end wall flaps, means engageable beneath the side walls insertable from opposite ends of the box for lifting the side walls to erected position, means for erecting the end walls and simultaneously maintaining the side walls in erected position, and means for folding the end flaps inwardly to locking position against the previously erected end walls.

DAVID LEVKOFF.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 648,241 Craw Apr. 24, 1900 1,784,571 Bergstein Dec. 9, 1930 1,868,873 Bergstein July 26, 1932 1,954,908 Zimniak Apr. 17, 1934 

